Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The town of Santa Maria, California, is home to one of America's most delicious barbecue specialties - the black-on-the-outside, pink-on-the-inside, grilled beef tri-tip steak. The tri-tip is cut from the bottom sirloin, and if cooked properly produces a very flavorful, extremely juicy piece of beef.

My version isn’t exactly authentic, since I didn't grill it over hot coals made from Central Californian red oak. They say it's the red oak that gives this style of barbecue such a great flavor. One day I'll travel down to Santa Maria and taste this for myself, but until then regular hard wood charcoal will do just fine.One of the signature characteristics of this barbecued beef is the spicy, charred crust outside, and the juicy, medium-rare meat inside. To achieve this we use a very hot grill, along with a continual turning and basting with a garlic and red wine vinaigrette. This basting sauce is another modern addition, as the original relied on just the dry rub and red oak for its flavor - again with the red oak.

Tri-tip a very common cut of meat around these parts, but any butcher worth his or her mustache will be able to cut one of these triangular roasts from the bottom sirloin. If they're confused, just bring in your iPod and play the video for them so they can see what you want.

In Santa Maria this tri-tip is traditionally served with beans, salsa and tortillas, but in the video you'll see the succulent slices sitting next to some unbelievably delicious eggplant Parmesan, which I also filmed and will edit soon. Yes, another tease. Enjoy!

44 comments:

Oh Chef ... my mouth is SOOOOOoooo watering right now! Fantastic video, as usual for the greatest Chef in the world. <--shameless (but well deserved) panderingI just figured out how to answer my kids & their spouses re: "What do you want for Mother's Day this year?" LOL ...

Me on the phone: "Hello, Bob's Butcher Block? Yes, I'd like to order a couple of tri-tip roasts to be picked up Saturday afternoon. Thanks!"

did you read the part of the blog where I say that part isn't authentic, or hear me say the same thing in the video? I wasn't saying this was the original recipe - it's my version and the basting adds to the crust I love.

Chef, I think Jess has a point. Although you make it clear this is not authentic Santa Maria tri tip, I have to wonder why the video is titled "Santa Maria Tri Tip." It's more than just the red oak and the seasonings too. The real deal is seared and finished over indirect (with a Santa Maria style grill). I generally reverse the process on my kettle, going indirect for about 45 minutes and searing at the end. Not trying to be a snob or say there's only one way to do it...but I also wouldn't put ketchup on my ribs and call them Kansas City style.

I made this for our anniversary dinner using a large, thick sirloin steak. It was fantastic! I cooked it with the grill closed, turning and basting every three minutes. It only took about 18 minutes for medium rare and I sliced it like London broil. Whatever anyone wants to call it, this was the best grilled beef we've ever eaten. Thanks Chef.

It's my grandpas birthday today and we've got our selfs a veil steak, since its different in Sweden its basically the part of what you do rostbeef of.So I'm wondering if this recipe is possible for that kind of meat?

If its hard or not possible I'm gonna find another of your great recipes and make!

Thanks for the videos. I grew up in Santa Maria so I can tell you, don't sweat the haters! You could do an absolutely authentic Santa Maria Tri-Tip, and there's always going to be some guy telling you that it's not actually the authentic way of doing it. So, like you, I have cultivated my own variations on the classic (and with it, I will challenge all comers!). I haven't tried basting it as you have here, I may try that sometime as many of my grandpa's (SM) BBQ recipes use oil and red wine vinegar; it's a great flavor for BBQ. One thing I would suggest trying with your rub is some celery salt, I make one similar to what you've got but with celery salt, which adds a great flavor as well.

The only thing I've got to say is, you need a grill where you can raise and lower the grate because it looks like you've got the grill a bit too hot and you need to keep the meat out of the flames...at least I do. I saw the other video where Mr. Righetti was saying something about the flames adding a smoke flavor; I don't think that's accurate. If so, only because the flames are coming from a newly added piece of wood. The flames themselves are not preferable, at least not directly on the meat as in this video here.

Cooked this on my smoker seared for about ten on each side them smoked about 40 minutes. Used basting sauce every 15 min. Made for a party everyone thought this was the best you could taste the flavor all the way through. Thanks for the great recipe

tried to find the TT cut in israel, and since butchers in israel apply the german way of dividing the cow (historic reasons)it took me some time to find itHere it's known as "shpitz shytel" (which means: tip of the rump in yiddish) :-) for all you Israelis out there.

They were most definitely not spanish you fool they were portuguese we settled this area ranched this area and still are the life blood of the central coast also i've never growing up all these years never ever has tortillas been the staple it was sourdough garlic bread you rest the tri-tip on the garlic bread like gypsies rest the szalonna and you roast the eggplant zucchini and tomatoes broccoli peaches plums figs clams oysters crawfish mussels squid head soft shell crabs frogs and linguica on the santa maria grill after you take the tri-tip off and the shellfish always finish before the tri-tip is done resting so you eat that and my dad and avo would always baste everything in garlic butter and santa maria seasoning while cooking the tri-tip and always kale soup and beans and hawaiian bread its really portuguese but anyway when you cook you drink beer while you eat you drink madeira and after your done with that a big glass of port and strawberries and cherries then pumpkin pie and brandy this is the way.

Hi there, I grew up in Lompoc California... neighbor to Santa Maria. I now live in the UK and had a yearning for a taste of home. I took a diagram to my butcher here and he was able to supply the cut... I used this recipe for the rub and basting sauce (and also the Susie Q Salsa!) and invited another Californian over and it was AMAZING. The food was fantastic and I can't wait to repeat this again!

Well this cut is just now making an appearance in West Texas. I googled "Tri Tip" and found this recipe which seemed interesting and delicious. It was amazing!! Only difference in Texas...We cook our meat a little on the rarer side.

After seeing your recipe for Barbecued Santa Maria Tri-Tip - Black is the New Golden-Brown I just knew I had to make it. I went down to our local butcher and asked for a Tri-Tip. He said “how do you want it?’. I replied medium rare. We chuckled and he asked me if I wanted the fat left on and I replied, leave a little.

I followed your recipe to the letter. I set my Green Egg to 500 degrees. It was awesome. This will become my new rib eye.

I have a 3.3 pound tri-tip. Should I add a minute or two to each flip and baste maneuver? My sons and I like rare to medium rare but Mom likes medium to well done. Would the original times give me those results for a 3.3 pound roast??

I added extra garlic and cayenne because I like both and I'm sure this will come out great. The TT is in the fridge chilling with its rub right now and tonight I'll be taking a trip to Grill Town. I just got back from a 3 week trip to East Africa and I'm looking for some crazy good 'ol American BBQ action. I am using some spices I picked up fresh from a spice farm on Zanzibar and this is going to be crazy good.

In that I prefer only a hint of pink in my TT and the beast I'm grilling is a larger cut...I may be considering that after I get a good crust going on to lower the heat and cover with the lid to get the interior cooked on the "well" side of medium well without comprising/over cooking the outer portion of the cut.

I've been preparing this recipe for years -- ever since I found it on the "About" website. I have always come back to it. It is simply the best tri tip I have ever tasted.

My wife and I live in Sacramento and we have turned our quarter acre backyard into an all fruit and vegetable garden. Many of the ingredients I use when preparing this marinade come straight from the backyard.

This includes the rosemary, garlic, paprika, etc. It makes the meal that much better. You can't go wrong with fresh ingredients.

I just thought, after so many years of using this recipe, that I told you how good it really is and thank you for posting it up so long ago for all to try.

First of all - been a recent subscriber and would just like to say how much I enjoy your videos. Succint, editorially interesting, and occasionally hilarious there are not many chef's I have found that can slim down a recipe to a five minute video without making it about themselves. You always make it about the food.

I made the tri-tip this weekend and couldnt have been happier with the result. Our guests raved and I was able to claim my man card for grilling.